Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 57

Sunday’s Date

The car returned to Tokyo and arrived at the apartment where Kurosawa lived; it was already past 11 o’clock.

“Goodbye, see you next time,” Itsuragi said as Kurosawa got out of the car, pressing the button to lower the window and waving goodbye.

“Goodbye,” Kurosawa smiled, closing the car door.

At that moment, a cold voice came from inside the car, it surprisingly was Ninomiya’s voice.

“Go to bed early, don’t stay up late.”

“Miss Ninomiya, you too, get some rest,” Kurosawa realized that the noise of him getting out of the car might have disturbed her, so he responded.

There was no need for many words of farewell; everyone was tired.

“It should have been a fairly perfect date, right?” Kurosawa stood in place, watching the car drive away, then muttered to himself, feeling relieved.

Reflecting on what had happened today, except for the trampoline at the amusement park at the beginning, he had enjoyed almost all the other activities.

After some contemplation, he entered the apartment.

……

“When did you wake up?” Itsuragi, driving the car, glanced at the rearview mirror and couldn’t help asking.

“I’ve been awake the whole time, including when you asked him to unfasten my seatbelt,” Ninomiya replied calmly.

She had never slept, she merely closed her eyes to rest.

“Ahem…” Hearing her somewhat resentful words, Itsuragi felt a bit embarrassed.

“Why are you helping him so much?” Ninomiya sat in the back seat, her right leg crossed over her left, arms folded, looking at Itsuragi.

During the day, she didn’t notice it much, but now looking back, Itsuragi seemed to be assisting Kurosawa in many ways.

“You’re not getting any younger. It’s time to find a partner and prepare for marriage.”

“You find one first before talking about me.”

“You’re saying that now. Who was the one claiming I had a boyfriend this morning?”

“Could it be that you decided to help him because of that statement?”

Ninomiya’s eyes showed a hint of surprise, feeling somewhat puzzled.

“It’s not entirely because of that. Mainly, from that statement, I sensed that you care about him.” Itsuragi shrugged.

It was precisely because of that statement that her perception of Kurosawa today had directly solidified into the future boyfriend of Ninomiya, her best friend. 

That’s why she worked so hard to assist him, even without hesitating to have physical contact with him, like the princess carry on the trampoline.

“I didn’t say that because I don’t want you two to get together. It’s just that his academic performance is excellent, and he has the potential to pursue a Ph.D. or postgraduate studies. Before that, there’s no need for him to waste energy on dating,” Ninomiya adjusted her glasses, ran her fingers through her hair, appearing calm.

Seeing her actions, Itsuragi didn’t say anything more, she just playfully curled up the corners of her mouth.

Having been best friends for over twenty years, no one understood Ninomiya Chizuru better than Itsuragi Runa.

Even Ninomiya’s parents couldn’t compare.

Before Ninomiya spoke, she would fiddle with her hair, a small gesture to disguise her nervousness and unease, a feigned attempt at composure.

Although today’s date didn’t have much tangible progress, Ninomiya definitely had thoughts about Kurosawa. She just kept them buried deep inside.

Maybe Chizuru had planned this from the beginning, intending to take action after Kurosawa graduated.

……

Back at home, after a shower, Kurosawa changed into a comfortable T-shirt and shorts.

Exiting the bathroom, he towel-dried his hair and checked his phone, finding no messages.

Since learning that he had dinner with his teacher, Ichinose hadn’t sent any more messages.

After a moment of thought, Kurosawa sent an emoji to Ichinose.

As soon as he sent it, it showed as read.

Clearly, the other person was keeping an eye on his Line page.

However, Kurosawa had almost dried his hair and still hadn’t received a response.

“Did she fall asleep?”

Without dwelling too much on it, he realized the situation through this context.

Soon after, he refrained from sending more messages to avoid disturbing her. After tidying up a bit, he lay down on the bed.

In no time, he drifted off to sleep.

Waking up a little after 6 in the morning and going to bed a little after 11:30 at night, combined with a day of fun at the amusement park, even if his body could endure it, his mind was fatigued.

That night, he had a dream. He dreamt of himself playing the piano in a massive concert hall.

The audience was packed, and fans were like a sea of people.

Not only did he play “Für Elise,” but he also performed many piano pieces, each one resonating deeply with him, each one eliciting thunderous applause.

……

“A dream?”

Opening his eyes again, the ceiling came into view, and Kurosawa snapped back to reality.

The dream felt so real because now he knew for sure that he could play the piano.

Just at a beginner’s level, he already possessed such advanced skills. What if, one day, he reached the level of master or even higher?

Sitting up in bed, Kurosawa walked into the bathroom and turned on the tap.

According to the system’s grading, even the beginner level is considered a professional standard. How terrifying would archery be at the mastery level?

Alone with his thoughts, he recalled yesterday’s events and realized some things.

As of now, he had a total of six permanent rewards.

Vocal skills, leg techniques, parkour, piano playing, drawing, were all at the beginner level, with archery being at the mastery level.

Being versatile didn’t mean all his abilities could be fully utilized, because some talents required a suitable stage and environment.

Currently, he had a deep understanding and experiential sense only for vocal skills and the piano.

His vocal skills were impressive, according to Itsuragi’s praise; he was better than most singers even before making a debut.

His piano skills were also remarkable; according to the performer at the Western restaurant yesterday, he was at least at a professional level.

After today’s date, I’ll see if there’s a chance to try archery.

After some contemplation, Kurosawa was eager to give it a try.

He really wanted to experience how powerful skills at the mastery level could be.

Having a comparison would reveal the magnitude of the difference.

He possessed theoretical knowledge but lacked practical experience; it felt like chasing after an illusion without real-world application.

Exiting the bathroom, he picked up his phone and glanced at it.

As expected, Ichinose had already replied.

“I’m sorry, I fell asleep last night QAQ.”

Seeing this apologetic message with emoticons, Kurosawa couldn’t help but smile.

This feeling was quite comforting because it meant you had someone in your life who was willing to send you messages; you were no longer alone.

“Good morning, Yuki-chan.”

“Good morning, Hikaru-kun.”

“At 9:30, let’s meet at Shinjuku Station.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Ichinose’s attitude was very obedient and cooperative.

With the plans set, Kurosawa glanced at the time, which was 8:40 AM, and then put down his phone to pack.

Because he needed to bring swimwear, sunscreen, and other items like his phone, he put everything into his shoulder bag.

Once that was sorted, he opened the wardrobe and began considering his outfit for the day.

Different types of women prefer different styles of clothing.

Apart from personal preferences, the style of clothing also varied depending on the occasion.

However, when Kurosawa bought clothes that Friday, he bought many sets, which were no longer just casual clothes and shirt uniforms.